I had an interesting experience at the Hamster Wheel today. I had been complaining to Mike for about a month that I couldn't wear my favorite gym pants for my faster runs anymore because I kept having to hike them back up. Well, today I was at the gym for a resistance workout, which includes a 1 1/2 mile running warmup at a pretty easy speed. And, I realized today that I am going to have to retire my favorite pants. I was hiking them up so much it was interfering with my run. So, while I am sad to be losing my favorite pants (*cry*), I am ecstatic for a shopping trip to find new ones!!! BUT, while I was pulling up my pants at the gym, I started to realize just how far I've come in such a short time...
From January 1 to August 17
1. Weight Lost: 4 pounds
2. Body Fat Percentage Lost: 0.3 percentage points
3. Pants Size: About the same if not a little bigger
4. Furthest Distance Run: 1 mile on a treadmill seven years ago
5. Average Pace of a Mile: slow...I couldn't even hazard a guess
From August 17 to October 9
1. Weight Lost: 10 pounds (14 total)
2. Body Fat Percentage Lost: 1 point (1.3 total)
3. Pants Size: About the same
4. Furthest Distance Run: no change
5. Average Pace of a Mile: no real change
From October 9 to now
1. Weight Lost: 9.5 pounds (23.5 total)
2. Body Fat Percentage Lost: 4 points (5.3 total)
3. Pants Size: Lost two sizes, almost down another one
4. Furthest Distance Run: 5.33 miles
5. Average Pace of a Mile: from 16:06 the first week to 13:27 this week
While I am super excited that my pants were falling down (haha!), it belies the fact that I am getting so much more in shape and really enjoying myself. Mostly, I am really happy at the fact that I am getting faster and being able to go so much further on each run. After my not so fun injury recovery, I was able to come back stronger than before and set four PRs in my first three runs...besting PRs for the one, two, three, and four mile times. And I personally expect to best both my five and six mile times on Monday on my longest long run yet. To give you all an idea, I have taken 3 full minutes off my mile since the end of October, 2 1/4 minutes off my 2 mile time, almost 3 minutes off my 3 mile, almost 5 minutes off my 4 mile, and a full 14 minutes off the 5 mile time. Plus, all of those were running!!
Before October, I had run one mile in my entire life. This month, I not only ran over 5 but ran for a continuous 75 minutes. Some very dear friends said to me in August that I could go further than I thought I could and that my mind would give up before my body needed to. Others told me that running would hurt my knees and that I shouldn't push myself so hard because that would lead to injury. And one person who has become a very good friend said to start slower than I usually did and breathe deep and steady from the first step. And that was the very best advice of all. Not just a "you can do it" or a "don't hurt yourself" but a "here's how...and I believe in you" that started it all. I'm starting to believe that the six miles I will run on Monday is just the tip of the iceberg.....
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Planted Seeds
I went into last week a little wary. It was a new week of new workouts..longer intervals, tempo runs, and a 75 minute long run. I was armed with lap times, doing MUCH better with pacing, but the idea of the new runs (and a really fricking long one) made me doubt myself a little. Until I was given a heads up that the FOLLOWING week, I should be prepared to do a five mile long run. WHAT? Are you kidding me??? I can't run five miles! I'm still working on consistently having the four mile under an hour! But, the seed of five miles was planted anyway....
So, I headed to long intervals (2/3 mile, 1/3 mile recovery) and was able to complete them well, setting a 3 mile PR in the process. Excited by my success, I looked forward to the longer steady state run of 3 miles (new distance) and was able to complete that one with success too! My first tempo run (run at race pace) was a little daunting but I was able to come in with a little faster lap times than I was aiming for. I was looking forward to the steady state run (2 1/2 miles) the next day and went out (as usual) a little too fast. But, I was fine with the speed so I kept it up and was able to run my 2 1/2 at very slightly slower than the tempo speed goal from the day before. I was ecstatic by my run but tempered the excitement with a few nerves because I knew that I was blowing my goals out of the water (meaning newer, harder goals were coming.....) and because I was a little worried that I had gone too fast and really had done a tempo run instead of really doing the steady state I was supposed to be doing. As for the next day, my intervals turned into a steady state run (a real one) so that I would be refreshed for the long run on Wednesday.
Wednesday dawned happy and well and I was excited to get started with my long run, but had a few things to do around the house. While I was cleaning and straightening, that seed (the 5 mile one) took root and grew in my head. I looked at the lap/pace time chart on the fridge and realized that I could probably aim for the five miles this week. So, I thought I would give it a try and no being disappointed if I missed it. So, I played a math game during my run to keep me occupied over my insane number of laps. Instead of really paying attention to what was going on with my lap time, I played an over/under game seeing if I could stay under the 15:00 pace needed to hit 5 miles in 75 minutes. After a couple of miles, it was intensely clear that it wouldn't be a problem to keep that up. And that run turned into the BEST RUN EVER, as I shattered four PRs in that run (total time run, total continuous distance, four miles, and five miles). Yes...you read that right, not only did I hit 5 miles, I ran for a total of 5.33!! And each subsequent mile was FASTER than the mile before it, which rarely, if ever, happens during my long runs. It started with the first mile just under 15:00 at 14:57 and finished with a 13:40. WOW! Because of the nature of my lap timing on my HRM, I don't actually see these numbers until they are in my spreadsheet, so I was even surprised by myself!
Good news from all this? Look at all those amazing PRs!! I surprised myself and am going to have all sorts of new lap times to hit by the end of the month!!
Bad news? I injured my left leg. I took Thursday off and went back at intervals on Friday but couldn't get them all completed because of the pain in my leg. I tried to push through it (set a one mile PR in the process), but ended up having to take the entire weekend off as a result. Hopefully, I'll be better and good and ready to go by this weekend!
So, I headed to long intervals (2/3 mile, 1/3 mile recovery) and was able to complete them well, setting a 3 mile PR in the process. Excited by my success, I looked forward to the longer steady state run of 3 miles (new distance) and was able to complete that one with success too! My first tempo run (run at race pace) was a little daunting but I was able to come in with a little faster lap times than I was aiming for. I was looking forward to the steady state run (2 1/2 miles) the next day and went out (as usual) a little too fast. But, I was fine with the speed so I kept it up and was able to run my 2 1/2 at very slightly slower than the tempo speed goal from the day before. I was ecstatic by my run but tempered the excitement with a few nerves because I knew that I was blowing my goals out of the water (meaning newer, harder goals were coming.....) and because I was a little worried that I had gone too fast and really had done a tempo run instead of really doing the steady state I was supposed to be doing. As for the next day, my intervals turned into a steady state run (a real one) so that I would be refreshed for the long run on Wednesday.
Wednesday dawned happy and well and I was excited to get started with my long run, but had a few things to do around the house. While I was cleaning and straightening, that seed (the 5 mile one) took root and grew in my head. I looked at the lap/pace time chart on the fridge and realized that I could probably aim for the five miles this week. So, I thought I would give it a try and no being disappointed if I missed it. So, I played a math game during my run to keep me occupied over my insane number of laps. Instead of really paying attention to what was going on with my lap time, I played an over/under game seeing if I could stay under the 15:00 pace needed to hit 5 miles in 75 minutes. After a couple of miles, it was intensely clear that it wouldn't be a problem to keep that up. And that run turned into the BEST RUN EVER, as I shattered four PRs in that run (total time run, total continuous distance, four miles, and five miles). Yes...you read that right, not only did I hit 5 miles, I ran for a total of 5.33!! And each subsequent mile was FASTER than the mile before it, which rarely, if ever, happens during my long runs. It started with the first mile just under 15:00 at 14:57 and finished with a 13:40. WOW! Because of the nature of my lap timing on my HRM, I don't actually see these numbers until they are in my spreadsheet, so I was even surprised by myself!
Good news from all this? Look at all those amazing PRs!! I surprised myself and am going to have all sorts of new lap times to hit by the end of the month!!
Bad news? I injured my left leg. I took Thursday off and went back at intervals on Friday but couldn't get them all completed because of the pain in my leg. I tried to push through it (set a one mile PR in the process), but ended up having to take the entire weekend off as a result. Hopefully, I'll be better and good and ready to go by this weekend!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Musings from the Hamster Wheel
I have been running for just about two months now (!!) and, in that time, I have discovered some interesting things about my indoor track known as the Hamster Wheel...
1. Stay to the Right Except to Pass
As I was once pulled over by a cop on my way to Payson for this, this is a rule I already know. I just never realized that it applied to running. As a slow runner, I find that I am frequently being passed by faster runners as well as passing slower walkers. And, in either case, you pass on the outside. Usually. What causes me no end of consternation though is the "friend walkers." I can call them this because I used to be one of them...and sometimes, I still am. They are the ones that walk next to each other on the track...slowly...without paying attention to the runners around them. When there are multiple runners on the track, these people become a serious annoyance when two runners want to pass at the same time. (This happens more frequently than I originally thought.) Inevitably, one runner has to slow his or her run. So, if this is you, pay attention to the people around you and when there are multiple people looking to pass, stop talking for three seconds and both of you move to the inside. It would make life so much better for the rest of us....
2. It's Not a Sobriety Test, People
Those lines on the track...they aren't to see if you can run in a straight line. Seriously. That's not the point. They are to separate the lanes. No joke. I seriously spent a good portion of my cool down last night having to pass a man who was WALKING the line between the two inner lanes. Please, Dude...pay attention to those around you. While I understand that sometimes it's hard to stay in the lines on a difficult workout, it shouldn't happen on EVERY lap...
3. The Hamsters
The most entertaining part of the Hamster Wheel is the other hamsters on and around the wheel!! There is Speed Work Guy who is there almost every night doing something interesting. It's not always speed work but that's what it was the first couple of times I saw him so the name stuck. There are the Gym Groupies downstairs who spend more time looking at each other than actually lifting weights. They make me giggle because really what is the point?? There is Routine Lady who is always at the gym in the morning doing something. She's usually on the elliptical or lifting weights but never seems to miss a day. There is Toe Shoe Guy. I only saw him once and it took EFFORT not to stop him mid-run and ask him about his shoes. There is Tri-Lady. I see her running and cycling all the time. She's super fast and it doesn't even look like effort. I don't know that she does triathlons but I wouldn't be surprised. Last of all, there is Sweating on the Stairs Guy. He dresses in some sort of lycra sweat suit to do the stair machine and he is ALWAYS pouring sweat all over the machine. I'm sure that's the point, but I'm grossed out every time I see him...
Even with all the crazy people, I still love my Hamster Wheel. It's better than rain and snow and general bad weather yuckiness!! And I get the bonus of the other hamsters!! :)
1. Stay to the Right Except to Pass
As I was once pulled over by a cop on my way to Payson for this, this is a rule I already know. I just never realized that it applied to running. As a slow runner, I find that I am frequently being passed by faster runners as well as passing slower walkers. And, in either case, you pass on the outside. Usually. What causes me no end of consternation though is the "friend walkers." I can call them this because I used to be one of them...and sometimes, I still am. They are the ones that walk next to each other on the track...slowly...without paying attention to the runners around them. When there are multiple runners on the track, these people become a serious annoyance when two runners want to pass at the same time. (This happens more frequently than I originally thought.) Inevitably, one runner has to slow his or her run. So, if this is you, pay attention to the people around you and when there are multiple people looking to pass, stop talking for three seconds and both of you move to the inside. It would make life so much better for the rest of us....
2. It's Not a Sobriety Test, People
Those lines on the track...they aren't to see if you can run in a straight line. Seriously. That's not the point. They are to separate the lanes. No joke. I seriously spent a good portion of my cool down last night having to pass a man who was WALKING the line between the two inner lanes. Please, Dude...pay attention to those around you. While I understand that sometimes it's hard to stay in the lines on a difficult workout, it shouldn't happen on EVERY lap...
3. The Hamsters
The most entertaining part of the Hamster Wheel is the other hamsters on and around the wheel!! There is Speed Work Guy who is there almost every night doing something interesting. It's not always speed work but that's what it was the first couple of times I saw him so the name stuck. There are the Gym Groupies downstairs who spend more time looking at each other than actually lifting weights. They make me giggle because really what is the point?? There is Routine Lady who is always at the gym in the morning doing something. She's usually on the elliptical or lifting weights but never seems to miss a day. There is Toe Shoe Guy. I only saw him once and it took EFFORT not to stop him mid-run and ask him about his shoes. There is Tri-Lady. I see her running and cycling all the time. She's super fast and it doesn't even look like effort. I don't know that she does triathlons but I wouldn't be surprised. Last of all, there is Sweating on the Stairs Guy. He dresses in some sort of lycra sweat suit to do the stair machine and he is ALWAYS pouring sweat all over the machine. I'm sure that's the point, but I'm grossed out every time I see him...
Even with all the crazy people, I still love my Hamster Wheel. It's better than rain and snow and general bad weather yuckiness!! And I get the bonus of the other hamsters!! :)
Friday, December 2, 2011
The First Mile..
One of the things that I have learned over the past two months...I hate the first mile. After having achieved a running distance of FOUR MILES this week, I can honestly say that the first mile is always the hardest.
I'm not saying that the end of a hard run is easy. It's not. Physically, that's the hardest part of my run (or is supposed to be). But, mentally....that first mile is the hardest. I have noticed that on my steady runs (2.5 miles) and my long runs (60 minutes), I am always slower and mentally just struggling through that first mile. Once I turn the corner (haha) on my second mile, my speeds increase, my heart rate slows slightly, and I can relax into the music and enjoy (?!?!?) my run. I'm still focusing on lap times and breathing and heart rate, but it gets easier and more enjoyable after that first mile.
This thought led to another question the other day...does that make me a distance runner? It's hard to think of four miles as a DISTANCE when I have friends who run marathons and ultras. But, could I see myself doing that distance in the future? I'm not sure....maybe. But, that's such a different answer than I would have given six months ago. And, more importantly, does it really matter? I'm a runner...that's the only label that matters.
I'm not saying that the end of a hard run is easy. It's not. Physically, that's the hardest part of my run (or is supposed to be). But, mentally....that first mile is the hardest. I have noticed that on my steady runs (2.5 miles) and my long runs (60 minutes), I am always slower and mentally just struggling through that first mile. Once I turn the corner (haha) on my second mile, my speeds increase, my heart rate slows slightly, and I can relax into the music and enjoy (?!?!?) my run. I'm still focusing on lap times and breathing and heart rate, but it gets easier and more enjoyable after that first mile.
This thought led to another question the other day...does that make me a distance runner? It's hard to think of four miles as a DISTANCE when I have friends who run marathons and ultras. But, could I see myself doing that distance in the future? I'm not sure....maybe. But, that's such a different answer than I would have given six months ago. And, more importantly, does it really matter? I'm a runner...that's the only label that matters.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Brown??
Saturday afternoon, while mourning a Buckeye loss to Purdue, I decided that I was done with the cute blue sparkly polish that had been gracing my toes since the beginning of the season. (Yes...I'm aware that blue was not the best of choices for my Buckeyes, but it was a really cute shade and I didn't think it would last as long as it did!) We were hanging at a friend's house, so I asked if they had some nail polish remover that I could borrow. As I slowly turned my fingers slightly blue with removed polish, I noticed something interesting...
There was brown under those big toenails!!! I was so excited that I shared it with everyone who would listen. Reactions: silence, confusion, worry, pride, happiness. A weird gamut, yes? The first three were from non-distance runners; the last two were from my runner friends. As they know, the brown/black toenail is something that only runners get. Knowing this, I was absolutely beside myself! All the disgruntled feelings of slowness, of newness, of not really getting this were wiped away in two half brown toes. I was ready to start on the next week of training!!!
Now, while I am excited by new level of runner-hood, I do plan on covering that brown up with a cute layer of SCARLET polish to finish out the Buckeye season!!!
There was brown under those big toenails!!! I was so excited that I shared it with everyone who would listen. Reactions: silence, confusion, worry, pride, happiness. A weird gamut, yes? The first three were from non-distance runners; the last two were from my runner friends. As they know, the brown/black toenail is something that only runners get. Knowing this, I was absolutely beside myself! All the disgruntled feelings of slowness, of newness, of not really getting this were wiped away in two half brown toes. I was ready to start on the next week of training!!!
Now, while I am excited by new level of runner-hood, I do plan on covering that brown up with a cute layer of SCARLET polish to finish out the Buckeye season!!!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Why Do I Bother?
This week's training sessions saw some interesting ups and downs.
After four days of 2 mile run sessions, Wednesday dawned as a welcome day off. But, as Alexa loves to race in the morning, we took off running across the blacktop to Samantha's school. And that's where I learned my lesson in proper running footwear. Evidently, ankle boots are not the way to go. I came down funny on my left foot, overcompensated to the right, and ended up on the blacktop with a skinned knee, a skinned elbow, and a slightly twisted ankle. I was so glad that Wednesday was a planned day off.
I aborted the run planned for Thursday because of the pain in my foot/ankle and went for a nice, slow walk with Hailey instead. I was concerned with Friday but thought I would just take it slow. I was still aiming for Saturday as a 2 1/2 mile run to push myself a little further this week. Like I said, why do I bother?
1 1/2 miles into the run, I felt good and my foot wasn't bothering me at all. I was definitely going slower than usual but I was having a hard time judging because I wasn't on my usual track. I was at a 12 laps to a mile track instead and my lap times were totally different. So, I decided to aim for 3 miles instead. And, once I hit 3, I couldn't just leave it there. So, I finished off another quarter mile at a much faster pace (about 12min/mile pace). And, as I was leaving the gym, I thought to myself, I so could have gone further at that slower pace. I ended up running a little over 53 minutes, which is pretty close to that 60 minute goal.
So, new goal again? Not really..I still have two goals for November that I haven't yet really hit. The first is to run continuously for 60 minutes. Most likely, I will hit that on Tuesday with my long run. The second....to get my average steady mile pace down to 14:00. With my new training schedule courtesy of Josh (thanks!), I am absolutely confident that I will hit that before Thanksgiving!
(On a housekeeping note, I have changed the settings so all of you who don't want google accounts can now post onto the blog....)
After four days of 2 mile run sessions, Wednesday dawned as a welcome day off. But, as Alexa loves to race in the morning, we took off running across the blacktop to Samantha's school. And that's where I learned my lesson in proper running footwear. Evidently, ankle boots are not the way to go. I came down funny on my left foot, overcompensated to the right, and ended up on the blacktop with a skinned knee, a skinned elbow, and a slightly twisted ankle. I was so glad that Wednesday was a planned day off.
I aborted the run planned for Thursday because of the pain in my foot/ankle and went for a nice, slow walk with Hailey instead. I was concerned with Friday but thought I would just take it slow. I was still aiming for Saturday as a 2 1/2 mile run to push myself a little further this week. Like I said, why do I bother?
1 1/2 miles into the run, I felt good and my foot wasn't bothering me at all. I was definitely going slower than usual but I was having a hard time judging because I wasn't on my usual track. I was at a 12 laps to a mile track instead and my lap times were totally different. So, I decided to aim for 3 miles instead. And, once I hit 3, I couldn't just leave it there. So, I finished off another quarter mile at a much faster pace (about 12min/mile pace). And, as I was leaving the gym, I thought to myself, I so could have gone further at that slower pace. I ended up running a little over 53 minutes, which is pretty close to that 60 minute goal.
So, new goal again? Not really..I still have two goals for November that I haven't yet really hit. The first is to run continuously for 60 minutes. Most likely, I will hit that on Tuesday with my long run. The second....to get my average steady mile pace down to 14:00. With my new training schedule courtesy of Josh (thanks!), I am absolutely confident that I will hit that before Thanksgiving!
(On a housekeeping note, I have changed the settings so all of you who don't want google accounts can now post onto the blog....)
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Running Bug
The way random events come together never ceases to amaze me.
Just over a year ago, I parted ways involuntarily with my previous employer. As upset (isn't that a nice word?) as I was at the parting, it led to me to my current employer. Without my current employer, I promise the world that I would NEVER have signed up for, let alone finished, a half marathon. And without that half marathon sign up and subsequent blog, I never would have reconnected with my friend/coach, Josh. And without that reconnection, I would not be calling myself a runner today. While I am absolutely taking the credit for the hard work I've done, without the motivating words and consistent confidence from him, I would not be where I am today. And where am I today??
As of Saturday, I hit my goal of 30 minutes!! Running just under 2 miles in that time, I was ecstatic when I finished!! I had never run that far or for that length of time. In fact, until a few weeks ago, I never thought I could even attempt it. And, oddly enough, I was shocked by myself again on Sunday when I ran 30 minutes and was able to complete just one more lap in that time, putting me at 2.11 miles for my running distance.
Today? "Take it easy," was the advice. So, I forced myself to slow down and keep myself at a pace that wasn't a challenge. And, after two miles, I really felt that I could have gone further. But, more than anything, I realized that I was able to listen to what my body was telling me and slow the pace down when it was too fast for an easy run. Even though the time difference between a "pushing it a little" lap and an "easy" lap isn't that big (about 8-10 seconds), it was a huge difference in how my body felt doing it.
I definitely think that's progress. Next goal: 3.1 miles run continuously. Time Frame: Thanksgiving. But, honestly, I don't think I'll make it to Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have something to cheer about on Vet's Day after all... :)
Just over a year ago, I parted ways involuntarily with my previous employer. As upset (isn't that a nice word?) as I was at the parting, it led to me to my current employer. Without my current employer, I promise the world that I would NEVER have signed up for, let alone finished, a half marathon. And without that half marathon sign up and subsequent blog, I never would have reconnected with my friend/coach, Josh. And without that reconnection, I would not be calling myself a runner today. While I am absolutely taking the credit for the hard work I've done, without the motivating words and consistent confidence from him, I would not be where I am today. And where am I today??
As of Saturday, I hit my goal of 30 minutes!! Running just under 2 miles in that time, I was ecstatic when I finished!! I had never run that far or for that length of time. In fact, until a few weeks ago, I never thought I could even attempt it. And, oddly enough, I was shocked by myself again on Sunday when I ran 30 minutes and was able to complete just one more lap in that time, putting me at 2.11 miles for my running distance.
Today? "Take it easy," was the advice. So, I forced myself to slow down and keep myself at a pace that wasn't a challenge. And, after two miles, I really felt that I could have gone further. But, more than anything, I realized that I was able to listen to what my body was telling me and slow the pace down when it was too fast for an easy run. Even though the time difference between a "pushing it a little" lap and an "easy" lap isn't that big (about 8-10 seconds), it was a huge difference in how my body felt doing it.
I definitely think that's progress. Next goal: 3.1 miles run continuously. Time Frame: Thanksgiving. But, honestly, I don't think I'll make it to Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have something to cheer about on Vet's Day after all... :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Runner in Training Part 2
Back in July, I posted a quote about there being no such thing as a fake runner. At the time, I had placed myself in a category called "Runner in Training." As of this week, I am officially done being "in training" as a runner.
Sunday's workout saw an enormous amount of obstacles. 1. I left my gym bag at home and had to go back and get it before work. 2. I got a text from Mike asking if I knew what he found in the wash...followed by a picture of my heart rate monitor. UGH. 3. When I threw caution to the wind and went to the gym anyway, I forgot my light snack at work and discovered an almost dead battery on my phone/mp3 player. But...listening to the little voice in my head (you know who you are), I decided to just go for it anyway. I mentally calculated the distance I usually go in the time I had planned and decided on 2 laps warmup, three reps of 5 running and 2 recovery, and then a 2 lap cooldown. After the first seven laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I'll be at a mile." After nine laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I will have actually RUN a mile." After I hit the mile, I just said "eff it! I'll just see how far I can go..." Final answer was 22:30 and 1.55 miles. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had just run half of a 5k!
Monday saw a much easier run/walk session as I had overdone slightly on Sunday and was feeling it a bit. But, Tuesday saw me run two more miles with a 4 1/2 minute recovery time in the middle. The first and last time I had ever run a mile before this was at least nine years ago. I tripled my running mileage this week...and it's only Wednesday!!
So, my thought for today....I am officially done being a "Runner in Training." I am officially a Runner.
Sunday's workout saw an enormous amount of obstacles. 1. I left my gym bag at home and had to go back and get it before work. 2. I got a text from Mike asking if I knew what he found in the wash...followed by a picture of my heart rate monitor. UGH. 3. When I threw caution to the wind and went to the gym anyway, I forgot my light snack at work and discovered an almost dead battery on my phone/mp3 player. But...listening to the little voice in my head (you know who you are), I decided to just go for it anyway. I mentally calculated the distance I usually go in the time I had planned and decided on 2 laps warmup, three reps of 5 running and 2 recovery, and then a 2 lap cooldown. After the first seven laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I'll be at a mile." After nine laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I will have actually RUN a mile." After I hit the mile, I just said "eff it! I'll just see how far I can go..." Final answer was 22:30 and 1.55 miles. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had just run half of a 5k!
Monday saw a much easier run/walk session as I had overdone slightly on Sunday and was feeling it a bit. But, Tuesday saw me run two more miles with a 4 1/2 minute recovery time in the middle. The first and last time I had ever run a mile before this was at least nine years ago. I tripled my running mileage this week...and it's only Wednesday!!
So, my thought for today....I am officially done being a "Runner in Training." I am officially a Runner.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Unexpected
It's been a week since I completed the Columbus Half and two since I started my new running regimen. In these couple of weeks, I've been caught off guard with a number of unexpected results.
1. Running Time
When I looked at the running plan initially, I laughed to myself when I saw the jump from Week 4 running five minutes to Week 5 running eight minutes. I figured that I would have to put at least a week in the middle there to allow myself the time to get used to it. But, I gave eight a shot at the beginning of the week. I was apprehensive but gave it a shot. And oddly enough, it was MUCH easier than I thought. Easy enough that, when challenged and pushed, I skipped straight ahead to nine and was able to complete that ahead of schedule. In fact, the schedule has become more of a guideline than something specific that I must complete strictly. I still plan on making 30 minutes by Vets Day but it wouldn't surprise me if I hit that goal earlier than anticipated. *grin*
2. Sleep
I knew that running and activity had it's benefits to my looks and overall health...weight loss, my clothes fitting better, tightening notches on my belt, decreased risk of disease. What has surprised me though is how much better I've been sleeping at night. No waking in the middle of the night, no difficulties getting out of bed in the morning. It's been a definite noticeable change that I am enjoying.
3. Confidence
"If I can complete a half marathon, I can..." I have found myself using this phrase multiple times this week. Whether the issue is emotional, physical, or spiritual, it hasn't mattered. Tackling and completing this challenge has given me an extra confidence boost and source of inspiration that I couldn't have imagined. I have said goodbye to old friends, questioned decisions at work, and been much more proactive in my own defense on a number of issues. Which all makes me feel so much better that I can....
4. Pay it Forward
I only completed a half marathon a week ago and started running two weeks ago and already people are asking me questions. I don't feel like I'm an expert on either of those things, but I've been asked for help a couple of times. It is an amazing feeling to be able to pay forward all the advice and help that I've been given over the past months. I still don't think I'm a great person to come to but I'm happy to share my experiences and the things I have learned. Especially since....
5. I'm an Inspiration!
I mentioned in my last blog that Cecilia and Samantha both mentioned running in races after I finished the Half. Mike is also thinking of training for a race, my friend Janine is looking at taking up running, and my mom and her partner are thinking of getting bikes to start a new exercise routing. More than anything else that I have learned from the Half is that you never know the impact that you have on others. I am thrilled to know that I can serve as that inspiration. Because, as I said earlier, "If I can complete a half marathon..."
1. Running Time
When I looked at the running plan initially, I laughed to myself when I saw the jump from Week 4 running five minutes to Week 5 running eight minutes. I figured that I would have to put at least a week in the middle there to allow myself the time to get used to it. But, I gave eight a shot at the beginning of the week. I was apprehensive but gave it a shot. And oddly enough, it was MUCH easier than I thought. Easy enough that, when challenged and pushed, I skipped straight ahead to nine and was able to complete that ahead of schedule. In fact, the schedule has become more of a guideline than something specific that I must complete strictly. I still plan on making 30 minutes by Vets Day but it wouldn't surprise me if I hit that goal earlier than anticipated. *grin*
2. Sleep
I knew that running and activity had it's benefits to my looks and overall health...weight loss, my clothes fitting better, tightening notches on my belt, decreased risk of disease. What has surprised me though is how much better I've been sleeping at night. No waking in the middle of the night, no difficulties getting out of bed in the morning. It's been a definite noticeable change that I am enjoying.
3. Confidence
"If I can complete a half marathon, I can..." I have found myself using this phrase multiple times this week. Whether the issue is emotional, physical, or spiritual, it hasn't mattered. Tackling and completing this challenge has given me an extra confidence boost and source of inspiration that I couldn't have imagined. I have said goodbye to old friends, questioned decisions at work, and been much more proactive in my own defense on a number of issues. Which all makes me feel so much better that I can....
4. Pay it Forward
I only completed a half marathon a week ago and started running two weeks ago and already people are asking me questions. I don't feel like I'm an expert on either of those things, but I've been asked for help a couple of times. It is an amazing feeling to be able to pay forward all the advice and help that I've been given over the past months. I still don't think I'm a great person to come to but I'm happy to share my experiences and the things I have learned. Especially since....
5. I'm an Inspiration!
I mentioned in my last blog that Cecilia and Samantha both mentioned running in races after I finished the Half. Mike is also thinking of training for a race, my friend Janine is looking at taking up running, and my mom and her partner are thinking of getting bikes to start a new exercise routing. More than anything else that I have learned from the Half is that you never know the impact that you have on others. I am thrilled to know that I can serve as that inspiration. Because, as I said earlier, "If I can complete a half marathon..."
Sunday, October 16, 2011
On the Flip Side...
What an amazing experience!!
My alarm went off at 5:00 this morning. I got up, showered, and attempted to get dressed. After two tries at the sports bra (the first time it went on inside out) and realizing that there was a hole in my chosen socks, I was dressed, fed, and ready to go. I headed out the door to my neighbor's house (thanks Heidi) since her dad was also doing the Half. We left her house in the dark and arrived in DT Columbus in time to hit all the crazy cars that were there! I was so thankful to have someone else driving who knew where to go and what to do. Heidi took us up in her building so that we could use the restroom. (After receiving a text from my friend Josh about how long the bathroom line was for the port-a-potty, I was very appreciative to have a real bathroom and to not have to wait in line.
Heidi's dad and I lined up in the "F" corral for our estimated start time. It was such a neat experience to be surrounded by all sorts of people who had trained for this event. There was even a couple of women in wedding dresses and bridesmaids outfits. (We did hear the tale end of the wedding that actually TOOK PLACE just prior to the start of the marathon...how cool is that?!?!) We hung out and kept warm. I had purchased a jacket from the New Albany Classic booth at the expo to throw away but I kept in tied around my waist because it ended up being a little chillier than I was expecting. The cannon fired (with fireworks!!) and we sort of headed off. As you notice, the "F" corral is significantly further back than the "A" corral and we were near the back. After a little under 10 minutes, we finally crossed the start line...and I crossed it jogging!!
Heidi's dad quickly outpaced me but I kept up jogging as far as I could keep up my breathing. I slowed to a walk when I had a headphone issue and met up with Amy. Amy was doing the half marathon to celebrate her 40th birthday! That was such an inspiration to me! She was also having headphone issues and we decided to be each other's buddies for the race. Amy was a fabulous race buddy as we cheered and yelled and decided that pain didn't exist until after the finish line. We thanked the race volunteers and cheered on the bands when they played good songs. We jogged a bit of it even.
The walk down Broad Street was made especially cool as the hard core runners came flying by in the other direction starting at about the Mile 2 marker. It was their Mile 7. While some of the racers made it look effortless, others just made it look like they were in pain. I don't ever want to be that person. If I'm going to run the whole way on a half marathon (which has already been thrown out as a challenge for next year...thanks Josh!), I'm going to do it with a smile on my face and enjoy it!
As we neared Bexley, the views were just incredible...we lost a little time due to a bathroom break for Amy but still held our own against the field. Mike and the girls were there to cheer me on around the 5 1/2 mile mark! It was fabulous to have the girls yelling "Mommy! Mommy!" and holding signs.
My glutes/hips started to hurt around Mile 7 but, as Amy and I had already decided, there was no pain until the race was done. I cheered loudly for the volunteers from Columbus Running Company, my favorite running store! They were right at about the 10K mark (we knew this one by the giant blue stripe across the street for the Tweetmytime thing. As we rounded back through downtown and then through German Village, I started to look for my landmarks. As good as Sbux looked, I wasn't stopping!!
Amy needed another potty break and while she was in the bathroom, the pace cop car came up right on our heels...talk about motivation!! We jogged a little to get ahead of the police car and the rest of the field. We kept it up and the last mile and a half was fabulous! Once we hit High Street, we knew we were in the home stretch. We crossed back over I-70 and caught sound of the Rocky Theme song...how awesome was that?? Even better....when that finished, Eye of the Tiger came on and we cheered! We whooped and hollered our way through the end just to keep our minds off of the pain. As we came up High, Mike had to practically yell to get my attention because I didn't see him! But, there he and the girls were cheering me on! And just a little before the finish line.
I rounded the way onto Nationwide Boulevard and was awestruck by the enormous crowd lining the last bit to the finish line. The people were LINING UP on bleachers to cheer everyone on. I told Amy that I was with her until the top of the small hill and then I was running. And...run I did. I ran the entire rest of the way to the finish line (almost a quarter mile)! It was a little further than I thought but I'm so proud of myself that I both started and finished the race running!!! Even Mike said that he couldn't keep up with me to get my picture at the finish line! :)
At the finish line, I was rewarded with yells, screams, and A MEDAL!!!! Then, we got yummy food goodie bags and it was awesome. We met up again with Amy and made sure that we had our picture taken together. I found Mike and the girls and we went through Celebration Village together. It was incredible to see all the fabulous people who completed this amazing adventure. So many priceless memories....and the best (aside from finishing) was when Samantha told me that SHE wanted to compete in a 5K.
In case anyone is interested in the technical stuff:
Official Time: 3:46.09
10K Split Time: 1:47.18
Place: 9803/9930
Gender Place (just females): 6089/6189
Age Group Place (females 30-34): 1066/1081
A serious thank you goes out to the people who have listened to me ask questions, complain, whine, doubt myself, and ultimately, been with me and supported me through this whole process: Mike, my girls, Josh F., Kyle, Josh S., Scooby, Pop-Up, Becky, Heidi, Bill, Tracy, Mom and DJ.
I crossed the finish line at 3:46.09 with a HUGE GRIN on my face. If I can do this, I can DO ANYTHING. (Next month....nanowrimo!)
My alarm went off at 5:00 this morning. I got up, showered, and attempted to get dressed. After two tries at the sports bra (the first time it went on inside out) and realizing that there was a hole in my chosen socks, I was dressed, fed, and ready to go. I headed out the door to my neighbor's house (thanks Heidi) since her dad was also doing the Half. We left her house in the dark and arrived in DT Columbus in time to hit all the crazy cars that were there! I was so thankful to have someone else driving who knew where to go and what to do. Heidi took us up in her building so that we could use the restroom. (After receiving a text from my friend Josh about how long the bathroom line was for the port-a-potty, I was very appreciative to have a real bathroom and to not have to wait in line.
Heidi's dad and I lined up in the "F" corral for our estimated start time. It was such a neat experience to be surrounded by all sorts of people who had trained for this event. There was even a couple of women in wedding dresses and bridesmaids outfits. (We did hear the tale end of the wedding that actually TOOK PLACE just prior to the start of the marathon...how cool is that?!?!) We hung out and kept warm. I had purchased a jacket from the New Albany Classic booth at the expo to throw away but I kept in tied around my waist because it ended up being a little chillier than I was expecting. The cannon fired (with fireworks!!) and we sort of headed off. As you notice, the "F" corral is significantly further back than the "A" corral and we were near the back. After a little under 10 minutes, we finally crossed the start line...and I crossed it jogging!!
Heidi's dad quickly outpaced me but I kept up jogging as far as I could keep up my breathing. I slowed to a walk when I had a headphone issue and met up with Amy. Amy was doing the half marathon to celebrate her 40th birthday! That was such an inspiration to me! She was also having headphone issues and we decided to be each other's buddies for the race. Amy was a fabulous race buddy as we cheered and yelled and decided that pain didn't exist until after the finish line. We thanked the race volunteers and cheered on the bands when they played good songs. We jogged a bit of it even.
The walk down Broad Street was made especially cool as the hard core runners came flying by in the other direction starting at about the Mile 2 marker. It was their Mile 7. While some of the racers made it look effortless, others just made it look like they were in pain. I don't ever want to be that person. If I'm going to run the whole way on a half marathon (which has already been thrown out as a challenge for next year...thanks Josh!), I'm going to do it with a smile on my face and enjoy it!
As we neared Bexley, the views were just incredible...we lost a little time due to a bathroom break for Amy but still held our own against the field. Mike and the girls were there to cheer me on around the 5 1/2 mile mark! It was fabulous to have the girls yelling "Mommy! Mommy!" and holding signs.
My glutes/hips started to hurt around Mile 7 but, as Amy and I had already decided, there was no pain until the race was done. I cheered loudly for the volunteers from Columbus Running Company, my favorite running store! They were right at about the 10K mark (we knew this one by the giant blue stripe across the street for the Tweetmytime thing. As we rounded back through downtown and then through German Village, I started to look for my landmarks. As good as Sbux looked, I wasn't stopping!!
Amy needed another potty break and while she was in the bathroom, the pace cop car came up right on our heels...talk about motivation!! We jogged a little to get ahead of the police car and the rest of the field. We kept it up and the last mile and a half was fabulous! Once we hit High Street, we knew we were in the home stretch. We crossed back over I-70 and caught sound of the Rocky Theme song...how awesome was that?? Even better....when that finished, Eye of the Tiger came on and we cheered! We whooped and hollered our way through the end just to keep our minds off of the pain. As we came up High, Mike had to practically yell to get my attention because I didn't see him! But, there he and the girls were cheering me on! And just a little before the finish line.
I rounded the way onto Nationwide Boulevard and was awestruck by the enormous crowd lining the last bit to the finish line. The people were LINING UP on bleachers to cheer everyone on. I told Amy that I was with her until the top of the small hill and then I was running. And...run I did. I ran the entire rest of the way to the finish line (almost a quarter mile)! It was a little further than I thought but I'm so proud of myself that I both started and finished the race running!!! Even Mike said that he couldn't keep up with me to get my picture at the finish line! :)
At the finish line, I was rewarded with yells, screams, and A MEDAL!!!! Then, we got yummy food goodie bags and it was awesome. We met up again with Amy and made sure that we had our picture taken together. I found Mike and the girls and we went through Celebration Village together. It was incredible to see all the fabulous people who completed this amazing adventure. So many priceless memories....and the best (aside from finishing) was when Samantha told me that SHE wanted to compete in a 5K.
In case anyone is interested in the technical stuff:
Official Time: 3:46.09
10K Split Time: 1:47.18
Place: 9803/9930
Gender Place (just females): 6089/6189
Age Group Place (females 30-34): 1066/1081
A serious thank you goes out to the people who have listened to me ask questions, complain, whine, doubt myself, and ultimately, been with me and supported me through this whole process: Mike, my girls, Josh F., Kyle, Josh S., Scooby, Pop-Up, Becky, Heidi, Bill, Tracy, Mom and DJ.
I crossed the finish line at 3:46.09 with a HUGE GRIN on my face. If I can do this, I can DO ANYTHING. (Next month....nanowrimo!)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
11 hours and counting....
It's hard to believe that the months and weeks of training are coming down to being at the start line in a matter of eleven hours. I have learned so much not only about racing and running, but also about myself in the past few months. As I try to keep myself calm and not nervy, I'm reflecting over those things that will stay with me.
Lesson 1: Goal setting is good. Being happy with who and what you are is better.
When I started out on this journey, I got very caught up in my training schedule and not missing a day and pushing myself to meet new PRs and being upset when I wasn't hitting new records every day. The overrecording, overthinking, and not being able to be where I wanted to be on specific dates was really frustrating. In the past couple of weeks, I've learned that it's a lot more fun to learn to run the slow way...without an insane training schedule and killing myself to get it done. I'm not going to be an Olympic runner and I'm not going to win any of these races anytime soon. (I haven't given up the goal of being fast yet.) I'm still working on learning to like running (it's getting there) but that's where it has to start. I need to stop competing against those elite athletes because I'm not them. And I need to start being proud of myself for what I've accomplished...I'm participating in my FIRST HALF MARATHON tomorrow!! (Notice that first....not only. I already have this race on my calendar for next year....*grin*!)
Lesson 2: "Finishing = Winning"
I saw that on a shirt today at the expo (lesson #3 -- see below) and it really resonated with me. Between coming in last at the MultiSport 5k and the realization that I had fallen enough off my training pace that the goal of three hours wasn't going to happen, I really felt like there was no point in even trying the event. BUT, as I had already paid for it (and publicly announced that I was participating on this blog), I knew that I wasn't getting out of it. So, I changed my training tactics and, more importantly, changed my attitude. It wasn't about winning or losing....it was about finishing. A half marathon. Which I *never* would have thought I could complete if you asked me a year ago. It is about pushing through and persevering. Even when I think I can't. I do have more in me and my mind will quit long before my body will. (Thanks to Scooby and Pop-Up for that bit of advice...)
Lesson 3: Expos are for shopping!
So I went to the expo today to pick up my race packet and discovered a plethora (*grin*) of shopping opportunities! While most of the stuff was way out of my price range or not anything I was looking for, I did find a great vendor that sold cute shirts for women. I will post their website once it comes back up! I got my hot pink 13.1 shirt as well as a magnet for my car. It was a fun event!
Lesson 4: Humility
I have so many people who have asked about training, read my blog, given advice, and have been pestered by me with so many questions I'm surprised I haven't been blocked. I have connected with family and friends who run, with co-workers who signed up for the race with me, and friends from high school who I haven't seen since graduation. I am humbled by the number of people who saw me as important enough to follow my blog and ask about my training. I am humbled by people who have told me that I have inspired them. And, for me, this race is dedicated to all of those people who have been with me at some point of my journey.
See you at the FINISH LINE!!! :)
Lesson 1: Goal setting is good. Being happy with who and what you are is better.
When I started out on this journey, I got very caught up in my training schedule and not missing a day and pushing myself to meet new PRs and being upset when I wasn't hitting new records every day. The overrecording, overthinking, and not being able to be where I wanted to be on specific dates was really frustrating. In the past couple of weeks, I've learned that it's a lot more fun to learn to run the slow way...without an insane training schedule and killing myself to get it done. I'm not going to be an Olympic runner and I'm not going to win any of these races anytime soon. (I haven't given up the goal of being fast yet.) I'm still working on learning to like running (it's getting there) but that's where it has to start. I need to stop competing against those elite athletes because I'm not them. And I need to start being proud of myself for what I've accomplished...I'm participating in my FIRST HALF MARATHON tomorrow!! (Notice that first....not only. I already have this race on my calendar for next year....*grin*!)
Lesson 2: "Finishing = Winning"
I saw that on a shirt today at the expo (lesson #3 -- see below) and it really resonated with me. Between coming in last at the MultiSport 5k and the realization that I had fallen enough off my training pace that the goal of three hours wasn't going to happen, I really felt like there was no point in even trying the event. BUT, as I had already paid for it (and publicly announced that I was participating on this blog), I knew that I wasn't getting out of it. So, I changed my training tactics and, more importantly, changed my attitude. It wasn't about winning or losing....it was about finishing. A half marathon. Which I *never* would have thought I could complete if you asked me a year ago. It is about pushing through and persevering. Even when I think I can't. I do have more in me and my mind will quit long before my body will. (Thanks to Scooby and Pop-Up for that bit of advice...)
Lesson 3: Expos are for shopping!
So I went to the expo today to pick up my race packet and discovered a plethora (*grin*) of shopping opportunities! While most of the stuff was way out of my price range or not anything I was looking for, I did find a great vendor that sold cute shirts for women. I will post their website once it comes back up! I got my hot pink 13.1 shirt as well as a magnet for my car. It was a fun event!
Lesson 4: Humility
I have so many people who have asked about training, read my blog, given advice, and have been pestered by me with so many questions I'm surprised I haven't been blocked. I have connected with family and friends who run, with co-workers who signed up for the race with me, and friends from high school who I haven't seen since graduation. I am humbled by the number of people who saw me as important enough to follow my blog and ask about my training. I am humbled by people who have told me that I have inspired them. And, for me, this race is dedicated to all of those people who have been with me at some point of my journey.
See you at the FINISH LINE!!! :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
New Goals...New Successes
It was suggested to me (again) this weekend that I could run further than I thought I could. So, with some suggestions of slowing down and paying attention to my breathing better, I got remotivated to head to the gym Sunday and actually do some running. This time, I was going to ignore distance, ignore time, and ignore the lap markers and just focus on breathing. And......I did it! I was able to run (really slowly) a full seven minutes without stopping. I wasn't able to repeat the feat on my second and third repetitions but I was proud of myself nonetheless.
So, today, I went with an online plan I found and opted to start myself in Week 4 of the plan which had me running 5 minutes and walking 2 as recovery. By the fourth repetition of that, I was sure I wasn't going to last I was so tired. So....instead of giving up, I slowed it down and focused on breathing again. And I was able to finish it out!!! :) I may have been really slow but I was able to do it!!!
I'll continue with this plan this week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and finish it up with the Half on Sunday. Next week, it will hop a level to Week 5 and by Veteran's Day, I should be able to run a full 30 minutes without stopping. I feel like it's a challenging goal but one that will help me get a better fitness level and be able to really hit my goal for next year!
I'm so appreciative to all of you out there who continue to support me in this..... :)
So, today, I went with an online plan I found and opted to start myself in Week 4 of the plan which had me running 5 minutes and walking 2 as recovery. By the fourth repetition of that, I was sure I wasn't going to last I was so tired. So....instead of giving up, I slowed it down and focused on breathing again. And I was able to finish it out!!! :) I may have been really slow but I was able to do it!!!
I'll continue with this plan this week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and finish it up with the Half on Sunday. Next week, it will hop a level to Week 5 and by Veteran's Day, I should be able to run a full 30 minutes without stopping. I feel like it's a challenging goal but one that will help me get a better fitness level and be able to really hit my goal for next year!
I'm so appreciative to all of you out there who continue to support me in this..... :)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Holy Moly!!
I started this blog back in May to help document my progress toward the Columbus Half Marathon and to help keep me accountable for my training. It seemed so far away at the time and I knew that I had plenty of time to train and practice and get ready for it. I was pumped; I was happy; I was all OCD about the training. And, as is typical for me, as the months went by, I got less enthusiastic but continued my training sort of half-heartedly.
Amazingly enough, the purpose of the blog stayed strong even if I wasn't blogging. I have been asked about training by people that surprised me. And, after being called out twice in two days by unexpected people (thanks Josh and Eugene), I realized that I needed to get back to it. So here goes.....
I haven't completely fallen off my training. I've been at the gym three days this week, mostly training in walking and on the elliptical. No running..no jogging. I just am not mentally there right now to get back in it. That sounds like an excuse even as I type it. But, as I look at the calendar, the Half is a week away. I am still planning to walk/jog the thing. I will probably start off jogging and then do intervals the rest of the way. My goal is still to finish before the course closes (3:55:00). I haven't set any PR this month (or last probably), but I did send myself to the gym in a downpour and haven't missed any training sessions that I had planned.
I am, at this point, starting to look past the Half at my next goal. I once made a goal to "walk around the states" with mileage visiting all of my friends where they lived. But, the mileage was so daunting that it was difficult to keep focused. A friend of mine mentioned that he had set himself a "number of miles" goal to run during the year. I think that's a really cool idea. So, thanks Josh, I'm stealing your idea! :) After some nerdy thoughts and calculations, I think I'm going to aim for 600 miles next year -- walking, jogging, ellipticalling. That's 50 miles per month and I definitely think that's reasonable.
So, here's to motivating myself to the Half!!!! One more week!!!!
Amazingly enough, the purpose of the blog stayed strong even if I wasn't blogging. I have been asked about training by people that surprised me. And, after being called out twice in two days by unexpected people (thanks Josh and Eugene), I realized that I needed to get back to it. So here goes.....
I haven't completely fallen off my training. I've been at the gym three days this week, mostly training in walking and on the elliptical. No running..no jogging. I just am not mentally there right now to get back in it. That sounds like an excuse even as I type it. But, as I look at the calendar, the Half is a week away. I am still planning to walk/jog the thing. I will probably start off jogging and then do intervals the rest of the way. My goal is still to finish before the course closes (3:55:00). I haven't set any PR this month (or last probably), but I did send myself to the gym in a downpour and haven't missed any training sessions that I had planned.
I am, at this point, starting to look past the Half at my next goal. I once made a goal to "walk around the states" with mileage visiting all of my friends where they lived. But, the mileage was so daunting that it was difficult to keep focused. A friend of mine mentioned that he had set himself a "number of miles" goal to run during the year. I think that's a really cool idea. So, thanks Josh, I'm stealing your idea! :) After some nerdy thoughts and calculations, I think I'm going to aim for 600 miles next year -- walking, jogging, ellipticalling. That's 50 miles per month and I definitely think that's reasonable.
So, here's to motivating myself to the Half!!!! One more week!!!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
8 Mile? Wasn't that a Movie?
I was not looking forward to my 8 mile training session today. I didn't have a plan except "go freaking just do it and stop whining." I called Heidi to get a route suggestion for the day since 8x9=72 laps at the gym would make more nuts than I already am. She suggested the Hilliard Rails to Trails trail because of the pretty views and the fact that it has mile markers ready to go. So, I dropped Alexa off and headed out to the trailhead.
The trail was blacktop...nice since that's what I will be walking on for the Half. It's nicely maintained and heads by Homestead Park. I really enjoyed seeing all the people passing me running and biking. Everyone was so friendly, saying hi and good morning. That really kept me going for most of the walk. I won't lie...I walked the vast majority of it. I think I had about three jogging sessions.
Thing I learned today.....my mind does eventually go to that happy place. I was focusing on my breathing and on keeping my heart rate up instead of keeping track of laps, times, and clicking the stupid lap timer button. And, oddly enough, it was sooo much more enjoyable. I was able to enjoy the music, enjoy the scenery, and enjoy the nice people.
Other thing I learned, my endomondo app on my phone and the mile markers did NOT match up at all. So, I either went 8 miles or 8.81. Either way, I'm duly proud of myself for going the distance. I hit a point at about 6.5 miles where I thought I was going to pass out but that's the beauty of an out-and-back walk. There was no other way to get home and I knew stopping was wayyy worse than continuing. So, I bucked up, focused on my music, and finished strong. :)
I'm impressed with myself and so excited to keep it going this week and through the rest of my training!!
The trail was blacktop...nice since that's what I will be walking on for the Half. It's nicely maintained and heads by Homestead Park. I really enjoyed seeing all the people passing me running and biking. Everyone was so friendly, saying hi and good morning. That really kept me going for most of the walk. I won't lie...I walked the vast majority of it. I think I had about three jogging sessions.
Thing I learned today.....my mind does eventually go to that happy place. I was focusing on my breathing and on keeping my heart rate up instead of keeping track of laps, times, and clicking the stupid lap timer button. And, oddly enough, it was sooo much more enjoyable. I was able to enjoy the music, enjoy the scenery, and enjoy the nice people.
Other thing I learned, my endomondo app on my phone and the mile markers did NOT match up at all. So, I either went 8 miles or 8.81. Either way, I'm duly proud of myself for going the distance. I hit a point at about 6.5 miles where I thought I was going to pass out but that's the beauty of an out-and-back walk. There was no other way to get home and I knew stopping was wayyy worse than continuing. So, I bucked up, focused on my music, and finished strong. :)
I'm impressed with myself and so excited to keep it going this week and through the rest of my training!!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Attack of the Lazies
I really have no excuses. I could say that it was hot. I could say that I was tired. I could say that I was busy and had to time. But all of those are cheesy lame excuses for my lack of exercise. I have sporadically been training over the past few weeks in both Ohio and Arizona. The real reason....I was lazy and sad.
So a few decisions were made over the past couple of weeks.
1) I am not going to aim for 3 hours anymore. I will be happy and content to finish even if I come in outside the official limit (4 hours). The point is to be working on myself and not racing against a better time.
2) I may be an athlete...but I still don't like running. It is what it is. I prefer the elliptical and I prefer strength training. I wish there was a half marathon elliptical race....
3) The best way for me to get better is to STOP skipping the training. So, I will be back to training 5 days per week this week. Started this morning with a 2 mile mostly walk with some jogging. Tomorrow will see an 8 mile walk. Not sure where I'll be yet but here I go!
Thanks again to everyone for all of your support...you have no idea what it means to me. :)
So a few decisions were made over the past couple of weeks.
1) I am not going to aim for 3 hours anymore. I will be happy and content to finish even if I come in outside the official limit (4 hours). The point is to be working on myself and not racing against a better time.
2) I may be an athlete...but I still don't like running. It is what it is. I prefer the elliptical and I prefer strength training. I wish there was a half marathon elliptical race....
3) The best way for me to get better is to STOP skipping the training. So, I will be back to training 5 days per week this week. Started this morning with a 2 mile mostly walk with some jogging. Tomorrow will see an 8 mile walk. Not sure where I'll be yet but here I go!
Thanks again to everyone for all of your support...you have no idea what it means to me. :)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Word of the Week...Irony
"Headphones, headsets, walkmans, ipods, mp3 players, or personal audio devices, etc. are not to be carried or worn at any time during the race." -- USA Triathlon Official Rules
REALLY??? This is what I learned upon picking my swag bag (I love that term!) yesterday for today's Giant Eagle Multisport Festival 5K. Interesting...evidently, you have to be able to hear other people on the course and not just go with your music. And since the festival included both an Olympic and Sprint distance triathlon as well as the 5K, we were under official rules. So, I showed up sans mp3 player. As it turned out, I had better than an mp3 player...I had Becky. :)
I've known Becky for a few years. She works with Mike at Camp Mary Orton during the summer and we have been known to hang out on occasion. Becky is an athlete and has been running for the past couple of years. Unbeknownst to each other, we both signed up for the Columbus Half Marathon. She saw my blog and we've been chatting about training ever since. So, Becky signed up for the 5K today with me. She was looking for a way to jump start her back into training. Then, she told me this morning that her goal was to help me set a personal best. WOW. Becky stayed with me through the entire race...we were passed by Olympic level triathletes (same course...different race) and got lost in a transition area near the end. Becky kept up a continual stream of happy thoughts and "way to gos" and really kept me motivated even when I felt like I was going to pass out, throw up, or die from the heat. Becky congratulated me at the end and came with me to get our finisher's medals. (Long story short...when we got lost in the transition, we somehow missed the finish line and didn't actually cross it.) I decided today that everyone needs a Becky to train with...she's way better than music.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Soundtrack Matters
In my perusal (I love that word) of the Columbus Half Marathon's website, I read in the FAQ that participants are allowed to use headsets for the race. I actually had to read it at least a half dozen times because I really thought to myself, "how on earth would I possibly get through 13.1 miles WITHOUT music??" Evidently, in major races for those crazy people who run to actually win prizes, it is normal to run with nothing but your brain to distract you. How insane are those people? (Sorry Pop-Up...but you just gotta go with me on this one.) My brain could NEVER distract me for that length of time while I was running. I'm always thinking about when the heck I'll be done with this....I need distraction!!!
I was thinking about this interesting fact today on my 4-mile training session. I did the first mile in a haphazard run as far as I can---walk a lap---run as far as I can---walk a lap and the rest of the miles in the two laps walking to every one jogging. And, as the song Candlelight by the Maccabeats came on (if you haven't heard that...go youtube it...it's a fabulous Chanukah song set to the tune of Dynamite by Taio Cruz) (and yes...I listen to whatever when I run, even Christmas and Chanukah in July)...and I noticed that because I really like the song and it always gets me going, I could run faster and further because the song was revving me up. The same thing happened with Disturbia and Fame....so I just need to find MORE songs like these.
So, I pose to you, my readers (all like half dozen of you), what are the songs that get you motivated and really PUMPING for your training sessions???
I was thinking about this interesting fact today on my 4-mile training session. I did the first mile in a haphazard run as far as I can---walk a lap---run as far as I can---walk a lap and the rest of the miles in the two laps walking to every one jogging. And, as the song Candlelight by the Maccabeats came on (if you haven't heard that...go youtube it...it's a fabulous Chanukah song set to the tune of Dynamite by Taio Cruz) (and yes...I listen to whatever when I run, even Christmas and Chanukah in July)...and I noticed that because I really like the song and it always gets me going, I could run faster and further because the song was revving me up. The same thing happened with Disturbia and Fame....so I just need to find MORE songs like these.
So, I pose to you, my readers (all like half dozen of you), what are the songs that get you motivated and really PUMPING for your training sessions???
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
It's All in Your Head, Bree
"You can have all the talent in the world and all the skill in the world, but the only thing that separates you from success or failure is your own mind." -- Mike Greenberg (one of the Mikes from Mike and Mike in the Morning)
I have a number of friends who are great athletes. I don't mean that they are elite athletes in terms of playing a professional sport or out winning races every weekend, but that they are great athletes because they inspire others to greatness. I depend a lot on these friends for their sage advice during my training period. One of these great friends is my friend Scooby. (Don't ask about the name...just go with it.) She is a triathlete. She has been training for and competing in triathlons for years. And, like me, she sort of starting running from scratch. So, she is one of the people that I go to for what I call mental advice. And, over the course of our discussion last night, she told me that I could run further than my mind said that I could. I think her exact comment was something to the effect of, "the mind quits long before the body actually needs to" (or something like that). And I realized that she was right. I've been trying to come up with some sort of math-y technical plan to get me to increase my running distance while decreasing the recovery walking time. Really, I just needed, to borrow the phrase from Nike, to just do it. Jog as far as my mind thinks I can and then go further.
So, after being sidelined with a terrible migraine for five days, I will do just that. Tomorrow, my mind will get a mental slap as I do my four miles. Go farther. Jog farther. Reward? Harry Potter, here I come! :)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
I Can Go the Distance
After missing the first five mile long run for Samantha's birthday, I was a little skeptical about going straight to the six mile today. I debated long and hard this week in my head before deciding to do the five miles and not the six. But, after talking with Mike, I decided to get up early this morning and head out for six miles. Outside seemed the best option as 72 laps around an indoor track did NOT sound appealing. I set myself three time goals since I had never done it before...a crazy ambitious goal of 1:30:00 (which didn't sound achievable even as I set it), a reasonably ambitious goal of 1:45:00 and an outside slowest possible of 2:00:00. I am happy to report that I finished in 1:46:28. I was so proud of myself that I came inside and promptly announced that I was going to puke. (At which point, Alexa pointed out that I should go use the toilet for that...isn't she smart!)
I was so happy to see that I could run for longer periods of time even if I couldn't maintain that pace for the full six miles. No six miler this week though...five miles is the long run! :) (And I even have the day off!!!)
Thanks again to all of my HUGE supporters who are helping me get through this...I have ignited a 5K craze for my friend Janine (who finished her SECOND 5k yesterday at an even faster time than last week's) and have found time to talk training with my fellow staff members at work. I'm working so hard and wouldn't be able to do it without my friends!
I was so happy to see that I could run for longer periods of time even if I couldn't maintain that pace for the full six miles. No six miler this week though...five miles is the long run! :) (And I even have the day off!!!)
Thanks again to all of my HUGE supporters who are helping me get through this...I have ignited a 5K craze for my friend Janine (who finished her SECOND 5k yesterday at an even faster time than last week's) and have found time to talk training with my fellow staff members at work. I'm working so hard and wouldn't be able to do it without my friends!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Runner in Training
"I often hear people say 'I'm not a real runner.' We are all runners, some just run faster than others, that's all. I have never met a fake runner." -- quote from Runners World magazine.
I didn't write down who said that quote but it really resonated with me yesterday when I read it. Even after eight weeks of training, I don't really consider myself a runner. Most of my training consists more of walking than running so it seemed logical to me. But, I realized that I was not giving myself enough credit for the training I have accomplished. While I still don't really think of myself as a runner yet, I am definitely a "runner in training." In any case, I AM an athlete and working so hard to accomplish this goal.
So today's training was four miles. I went to the gym today for my training and decided that I was going to run one lap followed by walking two. I have been doing my training on an indoor track that is 12 laps to the mile and today's training was on an indoor track that is 9 laps to the mile so running the lap was longer than I usually do. After three miles, I was exhausted. BUT, I persevered, kicked my mental butt, and kept going. Happy to report that I completed the entire four miles following the pattern I had set even though it was difficult, setting a new PERSONAL RECORD in the process! My mental goal was to complete in with the pattern and in less than one hour. I finished at 59:49...a full eleven seconds to spare!! I don't think I could have kept up that pace for another mile but I was still happy to have achieved my goal!!
Monday, July 4, 2011
I Wasn't Last
I completed my second EVER 5K today. The first race was what I lovingly refer to as the "Shuffle for the Cure" where I completed my 5K in an hour and twenty minutes and there were still THRONGS of people behind me. The Bexley 5K was a completely different race -- it was a race where people came to actually race and my friend Janine and I were outstripped quite early in the race. All in all, I was both proud and disappointed in my performance.
I came in at a disappointing 50:52 according to the chip timer (my watch said 50:48) which was well outside of the 45 minute goal I had set for myself. The good news...I wasn't last. There were a whole FIVE PEOPLE who came in behind me. (I was 363 of 368.) I am personally ignoring the fact that four of those people were over 60. What that means to me? There is lots of room for improvement. And concern that I have been training for 8 weeks and still am not even close to where I want to be. I think some of it is mental...I had a game plan and didn't follow it. I let the heat and humidity get to me and used that as an excuse. My heart rate stayed up in the 70% range for the entire time and that is good.
So, after all that negativity, what am I proud of? I am proud of the fact that I both started and finished the race jogging. I stayed positive and cheered both myself and Janine on throughout the race. And I am proud of the fact that I stayed the course and finished the race.
Official Race Time
I came in at a disappointing 50:52 according to the chip timer (my watch said 50:48) which was well outside of the 45 minute goal I had set for myself. The good news...I wasn't last. There were a whole FIVE PEOPLE who came in behind me. (I was 363 of 368.) I am personally ignoring the fact that four of those people were over 60. What that means to me? There is lots of room for improvement. And concern that I have been training for 8 weeks and still am not even close to where I want to be. I think some of it is mental...I had a game plan and didn't follow it. I let the heat and humidity get to me and used that as an excuse. My heart rate stayed up in the 70% range for the entire time and that is good.
So, after all that negativity, what am I proud of? I am proud of the fact that I both started and finished the race jogging. I stayed positive and cheered both myself and Janine on throughout the race. And I am proud of the fact that I stayed the course and finished the race.
Official Race Time
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Motivation where are you?
I am still training. I am still training strong. I just haven't been blogging.
Over the past three weeks (?!?!) since I last blogged, I have had some difficulty in finding my motivation. As the training sessions have gotten longer, I find myself wistfully thinking about (and looking forward to) the 2-mile training days!! When I look ahead to next Sunday and see 6 miles (which I am reducing to 5 miles since I haven't actually done that distance yet...I missed that training day because of Samantha's bday party), it makes me worried for the time it will take.
I got new sneakers (thanks Columbus Running Co!!) and officially signed up for the half marathon. YAY!!! Those were the most exciting things I did in the past three weeks. I'm also thinking about doing some cross training. I got roped into a personal training session at the gym which left me sore but also thinking that I am essentially coaching myself to an endurance race. I'm not sure if it's best to follow my training plan to the letter (or number in this case) or switch it up a bit. Because five days of just run/walking is driving me up a wall. (You do 36 laps at the gym for your 3 mile training days....it's dizzying.) I miss the elliptical trainer and doing weights. BUT...I really don't want to add a sixth day of training to my schedule. Thoughts from the gallery?
:) Here's to a great officially eight weeks of training down!!! :)
Over the past three weeks (?!?!) since I last blogged, I have had some difficulty in finding my motivation. As the training sessions have gotten longer, I find myself wistfully thinking about (and looking forward to) the 2-mile training days!! When I look ahead to next Sunday and see 6 miles (which I am reducing to 5 miles since I haven't actually done that distance yet...I missed that training day because of Samantha's bday party), it makes me worried for the time it will take.
I got new sneakers (thanks Columbus Running Co!!) and officially signed up for the half marathon. YAY!!! Those were the most exciting things I did in the past three weeks. I'm also thinking about doing some cross training. I got roped into a personal training session at the gym which left me sore but also thinking that I am essentially coaching myself to an endurance race. I'm not sure if it's best to follow my training plan to the letter (or number in this case) or switch it up a bit. Because five days of just run/walking is driving me up a wall. (You do 36 laps at the gym for your 3 mile training days....it's dizzying.) I miss the elliptical trainer and doing weights. BUT...I really don't want to add a sixth day of training to my schedule. Thoughts from the gallery?
:) Here's to a great officially eight weeks of training down!!! :)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Running in the Rain
Today's Interesting Training Notes:
***Cotton is NOT king***
After two miles of training in the RAIN, I discovered what it must feel like to participate in a wet t-shirt contest. (Not that I will *ever* actually know how that feels...) The rain was chilly and felt way more fabulous than sweat but I definitely feel like there is room for some clothing purchases in the future. My legs (in ancient lycra) were feeling just like normal while the top half of me (in a light cotton t-shirt and really old sportsbra) was sopping wet through to the skin. That's not fun. So.....new clothes for me soon!
***Training Necessity: Kick-Butt Husband***
Mike complimented me when I set a good pace and encouraged me when my pace slacked. He even told me at one point when I snapped at him that I could snipe at him as long as I did it in my head because saying the words was interfering with my training. I <3 my hubby!
***Is There a Water-Proof Gel?***
As my hair got wet and dripped into my face and eyes, I discovered that my hair gel did not have the best of tastes. I shiver just thinking about that nastiness....
***The Positive***
The most positive thing I learned.........jogging gets you much less wet than walking. Thus, lesson learned is jog more...walk less! :)
***Cotton is NOT king***
After two miles of training in the RAIN, I discovered what it must feel like to participate in a wet t-shirt contest. (Not that I will *ever* actually know how that feels...) The rain was chilly and felt way more fabulous than sweat but I definitely feel like there is room for some clothing purchases in the future. My legs (in ancient lycra) were feeling just like normal while the top half of me (in a light cotton t-shirt and really old sportsbra) was sopping wet through to the skin. That's not fun. So.....new clothes for me soon!
***Training Necessity: Kick-Butt Husband***
Mike complimented me when I set a good pace and encouraged me when my pace slacked. He even told me at one point when I snapped at him that I could snipe at him as long as I did it in my head because saying the words was interfering with my training. I <3 my hubby!
***Is There a Water-Proof Gel?***
As my hair got wet and dripped into my face and eyes, I discovered that my hair gel did not have the best of tastes. I shiver just thinking about that nastiness....
***The Positive***
The most positive thing I learned.........jogging gets you much less wet than walking. Thus, lesson learned is jog more...walk less! :)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Tour of Lynbrook
My first FOUR MILE training started where Mike grew up, went past at least two ex-girlfriend's houses, and finished up back at his house. Mike plotted out a route for me and then cheered me on during training. He even did the entire route with me! I <3 my hubbie for that! I told him that I loved having him there cause he really made me stretch but that I hated having them there because it let me give voice to my inner whiner. When I'm by myself, I have no one to complain vocally to except the squirrels and bunnies and trees (and I've already commented on that for myself).
That said though, I officially completed my first four mile training!!! It hurt a bit by mile 3 and I had to do some stretching both in the middle and at the end to make sure I didn't sustain any injuries. All in all, it was a great training session even if I was whiny throughout it!
(And I got to see Mike's ex-girlfriends' houses...how bizarro is that???)
That said though, I officially completed my first four mile training!!! It hurt a bit by mile 3 and I had to do some stretching both in the middle and at the end to make sure I didn't sustain any injuries. All in all, it was a great training session even if I was whiny throughout it!
(And I got to see Mike's ex-girlfriends' houses...how bizarro is that???)
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Back on Track
I had great plans of getting to New York and being SOOOO fit. I'm not really sure what I was thinking. Clearly, I was pie in the sky thinking and not thinking like a rational person. Especially given the hamstring issue from earlier in the week. That said, I enjoyed a nice 2 mile walk this morning. Definitely faster than Tuesday when I discovered my injury but not quite up to speed yet. And that's ok...it was my first day back to training and it was an unfamiliar route. Best part about today's training....A PARTNER!!! Mike went with me for some company. It was awesome to have someone to talk to for the walk (as I have difficulties chatting with trees and bunnies). It made the training go by so much faster.
Tomorrow, the schedule is for four miles. I'm looking forward to the training but not sure if I should keep it at four miles since I've been off for the past few days. Maybe I'll do some sort of time training for tomorrow for the first two miles and then take it easier for the last two miles..
Thoughts from my personal gallery of trainers?? :)
Tomorrow, the schedule is for four miles. I'm looking forward to the training but not sure if I should keep it at four miles since I've been off for the past few days. Maybe I'll do some sort of time training for tomorrow for the first two miles and then take it easier for the last two miles..
Thoughts from my personal gallery of trainers?? :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Today I Learn about Hamstrings
The hamstring is the muscle in the back of your thigh. Did you all know that? I bet you did....
I think somewhere in the back of my head I knew it too. This morning, my hamstring muscle in my left leg decided to go on some sort of strike....
I got up super early this morning (6:30 is early) and was excited to complete my third 3-mile training session. Sunday had been such a poo that I was excited to get going this morning and have a great new time and be able to maybe go more of the distance jogging than I did on Sunday. I walked a little to warm up and then started to jog. In the first ten seconds, my leg seized up and I had to walk. I thought to myself that I just hadn't warmed up enough so I kept walking for about five more minutes and then started to jog again...I didn't even last ten seconds. On the first full rotation of my legs, I had to stop and walk again. So I aborted the session to two miles (since I didn't have time to WALK a full three at that pace) and walked the rest of the way, testing every five minutes or so as I went.
So all my experts (thanks Heidi, Brian, Mike and the nice fellows at Columbus Running Co) say that means I should rest it. Ugh....I'm so terrified of taking a few days off because I have been doing so well. But, I also don't want to end up so injured that I can't complete my race.
As a result...no more running for me until Saturday. And then I'll get to run in NY!!! :)
Should be fun....can't wait to get back out there!
I think somewhere in the back of my head I knew it too. This morning, my hamstring muscle in my left leg decided to go on some sort of strike....
I got up super early this morning (6:30 is early) and was excited to complete my third 3-mile training session. Sunday had been such a poo that I was excited to get going this morning and have a great new time and be able to maybe go more of the distance jogging than I did on Sunday. I walked a little to warm up and then started to jog. In the first ten seconds, my leg seized up and I had to walk. I thought to myself that I just hadn't warmed up enough so I kept walking for about five more minutes and then started to jog again...I didn't even last ten seconds. On the first full rotation of my legs, I had to stop and walk again. So I aborted the session to two miles (since I didn't have time to WALK a full three at that pace) and walked the rest of the way, testing every five minutes or so as I went.
So all my experts (thanks Heidi, Brian, Mike and the nice fellows at Columbus Running Co) say that means I should rest it. Ugh....I'm so terrified of taking a few days off because I have been doing so well. But, I also don't want to end up so injured that I can't complete my race.
As a result...no more running for me until Saturday. And then I'll get to run in NY!!! :)
Should be fun....can't wait to get back out there!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
When 68 Degrees Isn't
I did my first three mile trek outside today. I spent some time on the USA Track and Field website planning a new route, I got up early, and I was excited (sort of) about going out for my THREE MILES! I knew it would be a better training session than Thursday since I wasn't at the gym and I was more mentally prepared for it.
So the upshot of today's training was a new Personal Record (yay me!) and the discovery that if my phone says it is 68 degrees out, I should really look at the humidity before deciding what the actual temperature is. Today's lesson...68 degrees with 94% humidity does not feel like 68 degrees. It feels decidedly yucky and hot. I can't imagine training in an actual hot weather climate.
I also got home from my run frustrated with myself. I understand that I can't go my two mile pace for my entire three miles (yet) but I don't understand why I can't go my two mile pace for the first two miles of my three mile walk/jog. Mike tried to explain it to me but it still seems like it might be all in my head and just something mental I need to break through to be able to complete.
I made a few new additions to the blog in a countdown to my race, my PRs, and my weekly training schedule. I'm most excited about updating the Personal Record part since I was able to set TWO personal records this week (one for the 2 mile and another for the 3 mile). And the countdown timer took forever to get right....
Here's happy jogging and a happy rest day (or yoga maybe) tomorrow!
So the upshot of today's training was a new Personal Record (yay me!) and the discovery that if my phone says it is 68 degrees out, I should really look at the humidity before deciding what the actual temperature is. Today's lesson...68 degrees with 94% humidity does not feel like 68 degrees. It feels decidedly yucky and hot. I can't imagine training in an actual hot weather climate.
I also got home from my run frustrated with myself. I understand that I can't go my two mile pace for my entire three miles (yet) but I don't understand why I can't go my two mile pace for the first two miles of my three mile walk/jog. Mike tried to explain it to me but it still seems like it might be all in my head and just something mental I need to break through to be able to complete.
I made a few new additions to the blog in a countdown to my race, my PRs, and my weekly training schedule. I'm most excited about updating the Personal Record part since I was able to set TWO personal records this week (one for the 2 mile and another for the 3 mile). And the countdown timer took forever to get right....
Here's happy jogging and a happy rest day (or yoga maybe) tomorrow!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Lessons Learned
This week marks the first full week of actual Half Marathon training. The first three weeks of training were borrowed from a 5k training plan since my Half training plan only went 20 weeks. Things I have learned so far this week...
1) Intervals equal pain.
After reading some websites and getting suggestions from my guru, I decided to embark on my 2-mile training yesterday by doing interval training. So, I took my 9 laps = 1 mile indoor track and alternated laps between walking and interval training. On the interval training laps, I sprinted the straightaways and walked the curves. And what did I get for my exhaustive efforts? PAIN! I woke up this morning with calf pain and arm pain. I guess I expected the calf and shin soreness, but arms? Who knew that you used your arm muscles to run?? I do now............and those 18 laps around the track taught me lesson #2..
2) I can't count that high.
As most of you know, I have been doing a mix of training at the indoor track and outside. This week, I learned that when there are more than four laps to a mile, counting laps while running is difficult. Even with the aid of my split time counter on my heart rate monitor, I still found myself missing clicks of the split timer and lap counts. As a result, I decided to try something different on day three for my first 3-mile training session. What I learned from that.....
3) Treadmills are NOT for running.
After a few weeks of training on the indoor track and outside, I decided to head back to the treadmill today for my first 3-mile. Yeah........not such the greatest of ideas. I couldn't find my own personal rhythm on the treadmill and I'm sure my walk time was way too slow when I was walking. Add that to the pain from earlier in the week and it was the slowest training session I've had to date. Good news though...I did finish my first 3-mile training session. I think that finishing today was the bulk of the battle. Sunday's 3-mile will be completed with actual jogging though.
After part one of week one of full training, I am sore and frustrated that I am not doing better. I'm trying to figure out how to make my training more fun each session. Intervals were fun AND they were hard...that's the best! There also has to be a way to figure out the training sessions so that I am mixing hard shorter workouts with my long endurance runs with the midlevel runs. I'm not sure what the best course of action is on those...I had worked out an initial idea of doing the following:
Monday: rest days
Tuesday: always a midlevel day from 3-5 miles: probably doing increasing time training (more time jogging each with with diminishing recovery time)
Wednesday: always 2 miles: these will be intervals...
Thursday: always a midlevel day from 3-5 miles: light days for recovery after intervals or time training...or strength training...
Friday: listed as rest/cross-training so I'm thinking yoga or something to keep me injury free!
Saturday: midlevel days...same as Tuesday
Sunday: long runs...just finish them using varying techniques as the runs get longer...
Not sure how that will work out but it's what I'm thinking anyway...here's to my yoga day tomorrow!
1) Intervals equal pain.
After reading some websites and getting suggestions from my guru, I decided to embark on my 2-mile training yesterday by doing interval training. So, I took my 9 laps = 1 mile indoor track and alternated laps between walking and interval training. On the interval training laps, I sprinted the straightaways and walked the curves. And what did I get for my exhaustive efforts? PAIN! I woke up this morning with calf pain and arm pain. I guess I expected the calf and shin soreness, but arms? Who knew that you used your arm muscles to run?? I do now............and those 18 laps around the track taught me lesson #2..
2) I can't count that high.
As most of you know, I have been doing a mix of training at the indoor track and outside. This week, I learned that when there are more than four laps to a mile, counting laps while running is difficult. Even with the aid of my split time counter on my heart rate monitor, I still found myself missing clicks of the split timer and lap counts. As a result, I decided to try something different on day three for my first 3-mile training session. What I learned from that.....
3) Treadmills are NOT for running.
After a few weeks of training on the indoor track and outside, I decided to head back to the treadmill today for my first 3-mile. Yeah........not such the greatest of ideas. I couldn't find my own personal rhythm on the treadmill and I'm sure my walk time was way too slow when I was walking. Add that to the pain from earlier in the week and it was the slowest training session I've had to date. Good news though...I did finish my first 3-mile training session. I think that finishing today was the bulk of the battle. Sunday's 3-mile will be completed with actual jogging though.
After part one of week one of full training, I am sore and frustrated that I am not doing better. I'm trying to figure out how to make my training more fun each session. Intervals were fun AND they were hard...that's the best! There also has to be a way to figure out the training sessions so that I am mixing hard shorter workouts with my long endurance runs with the midlevel runs. I'm not sure what the best course of action is on those...I had worked out an initial idea of doing the following:
Monday: rest days
Tuesday: always a midlevel day from 3-5 miles: probably doing increasing time training (more time jogging each with with diminishing recovery time)
Wednesday: always 2 miles: these will be intervals...
Thursday: always a midlevel day from 3-5 miles: light days for recovery after intervals or time training...or strength training...
Friday: listed as rest/cross-training so I'm thinking yoga or something to keep me injury free!
Saturday: midlevel days...same as Tuesday
Sunday: long runs...just finish them using varying techniques as the runs get longer...
Not sure how that will work out but it's what I'm thinking anyway...here's to my yoga day tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
I love being stopped at the gym.......REALLY!
New personal best!!
So after deliberately choosing to not get up this morning before work to train, I knew that meant I had to go after work. While I don't usually prefer to do my training at 7:45pm, it worked out tonight! I went to the Urban Active in Polaris and did their indoor track (as I still don't really enjoy the boring monotony of a treadmill workout)...24 laps later (12 laps = 1 mile), I had set myself a new personal best for the indoor track! I was at 27:39 which shaved about 2 minutes off my personal best from the 15th!
I guess this training stuff really is working......my quest for tomorrow...2 MORE MILES! (I'm sure eventually that will seem really short......right????)
In the meantime...I was flagged down by a trainer at the end of my workout tonight who stopped me by asking me what I was training for. (Smart woman...........got me to talk to her, didn't she??) She was excellent and actually got me thinking about signing up for the expensive personal training sessions. BUT...I was so excited that someone stopped me to ask about what I was training for!! AND I HAD AN ANSWER! That was awesome...it made me so proud to say "I'm training for the Columbus Half Marathon!"
So after deliberately choosing to not get up this morning before work to train, I knew that meant I had to go after work. While I don't usually prefer to do my training at 7:45pm, it worked out tonight! I went to the Urban Active in Polaris and did their indoor track (as I still don't really enjoy the boring monotony of a treadmill workout)...24 laps later (12 laps = 1 mile), I had set myself a new personal best for the indoor track! I was at 27:39 which shaved about 2 minutes off my personal best from the 15th!
I guess this training stuff really is working......my quest for tomorrow...2 MORE MILES! (I'm sure eventually that will seem really short......right????)
In the meantime...I was flagged down by a trainer at the end of my workout tonight who stopped me by asking me what I was training for. (Smart woman...........got me to talk to her, didn't she??) She was excellent and actually got me thinking about signing up for the expensive personal training sessions. BUT...I was so excited that someone stopped me to ask about what I was training for!! AND I HAD AN ANSWER! That was awesome...it made me so proud to say "I'm training for the Columbus Half Marathon!"
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Oh What a Night....
So the theme behind Tuesday night was..."Am I nuts for thinking I can do this???" But, after some tummy pain today and some serious soreness yesterday, I pushed on and forced myself to do my mile and a half of training today. That is the equivalent of three laps around our neighborhood block...or so I thought.
The jog started out with a bit of a mechanical issue when I discovered that I really do need an armband for my mp3 player. One pair of pants has a cool little inside pocket and the other is old and doesn't. Well, I just stuck the mp3 player (ie: my phone) into my waistband.....not even to the end of the block and the phone is at my knee. Ugh. So I guess I'll invest in one of those cool armband dealie-bobs.....
But, as I am trying to fix the mechanical issue...I hear my name being called by my FABULOUS neighbors Bill and Heidi Griesmer as they cheer me on!!! (Thank guys!!!) It was such a great thing to know that someone in my neighborhood knew that I wasn't just out being crazy thinking I could jog but were actually cheering on my efforts! It makes me want to put an "I'm training for the Cols marathon" sign on my lawn like those Pelotonia signs (yay Bill and Heidi again!) that I see every year. I wonder if they sell those...................
I was super excited when I beat my personal best time clocking in at 18:47 for the three laps. I was super excited to have completed my 1.5 miles in this time until I looked at my phone (for that cool GPS app) which said I only went 1.25 miles. WHAT?!?!?!?! Well, it's still a personal best for the three laps and it really explains why my gym and treadmill pace times have been so much slower.
The good news...I got home from my workout and realized that I CAN do this!! :) I'm even thinking about signing up for a 5k in July and a 12k in September to keep me motivated!!
So thanks Bill and Heidi and my fabulous support group!! I <3 you all! :)
The jog started out with a bit of a mechanical issue when I discovered that I really do need an armband for my mp3 player. One pair of pants has a cool little inside pocket and the other is old and doesn't. Well, I just stuck the mp3 player (ie: my phone) into my waistband.....not even to the end of the block and the phone is at my knee. Ugh. So I guess I'll invest in one of those cool armband dealie-bobs.....
But, as I am trying to fix the mechanical issue...I hear my name being called by my FABULOUS neighbors Bill and Heidi Griesmer as they cheer me on!!! (Thank guys!!!) It was such a great thing to know that someone in my neighborhood knew that I wasn't just out being crazy thinking I could jog but were actually cheering on my efforts! It makes me want to put an "I'm training for the Cols marathon" sign on my lawn like those Pelotonia signs (yay Bill and Heidi again!) that I see every year. I wonder if they sell those...................
I was super excited when I beat my personal best time clocking in at 18:47 for the three laps. I was super excited to have completed my 1.5 miles in this time until I looked at my phone (for that cool GPS app) which said I only went 1.25 miles. WHAT?!?!?!?! Well, it's still a personal best for the three laps and it really explains why my gym and treadmill pace times have been so much slower.
The good news...I got home from my workout and realized that I CAN do this!! :) I'm even thinking about signing up for a 5k in July and a 12k in September to keep me motivated!!
So thanks Bill and Heidi and my fabulous support group!! I <3 you all! :)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Drive it BEFORE you run it, right?
Samantha had Girl Scouts tonight and I decided to combine that with my running so I went to the AWESOME track and field website that Mike found me (http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/) and plotted myself a route near the Norwich Township Fire Station. It was through a neighborhood and looked very good. Just before leaving, I said to Mike...I think I'll drive it first just to make sure. HA! I got so lost in my car that I was glad I had a backup route...so off to Target I went. :)
2 miles today in 32:33. It was a beautiful evening but I learned that a beautiful day is warm for running. I walked most of it as I discovered I picked a route with actual elevation. I didn't hit my goal time today (30 minutes) and I got back to my car thinking "what did I get myself into?" and "what am I thinking thinking I can do 13 miles if I can barely go two...." But after some stretching and relaxing, I started to realize that the first few weeks aren't about times and goals really...they are about being able to work through the routines and the training to get me started. I feel tired and achy already but I know that tomorrow's cross-training will be good. But, as for today............it was definitely a blah.
2 miles today in 32:33. It was a beautiful evening but I learned that a beautiful day is warm for running. I walked most of it as I discovered I picked a route with actual elevation. I didn't hit my goal time today (30 minutes) and I got back to my car thinking "what did I get myself into?" and "what am I thinking thinking I can do 13 miles if I can barely go two...." But after some stretching and relaxing, I started to realize that the first few weeks aren't about times and goals really...they are about being able to work through the routines and the training to get me started. I feel tired and achy already but I know that tomorrow's cross-training will be good. But, as for today............it was definitely a blah.
Personal Readiness Quiz
So as I embark upon this journey, what is the first thing that I do??? I check out a book on marathoning from the library, of course!!! :) (To be fair, I actually consulted a number of websites first courtesy of Pop-Up and DJ and then got books in paper and epub format...)
So the book I checked out in paper format is called Marathoning for Mortals. I will tell you that so far, it's good but I was surprised at the very lack of books on the half marathon. Evidently, the whole world would prefer to run the 5k or the marathon or even do a triathlon. Crazy, huh? Well, this was one of the few books that actually presented itself as a real guide depending on your goal. It has programs for walking, running, and run/walking and walk/running both distances. I like that I can have a goal of: finish the darn thing! That's really my primary goal...the secondary goal is the time goal. But, the book has a personal readiness survey to see if I'm REALLY ready to start this thing. (Good thing since it's in chapter three...wouldn't you think that would be in chapter one???)
I was disappointed (but not surprised) to find that the authors think you should have at least a year of good, solid training before trying to complete a half marathon. Do you think that sporadic trips to the gym count as good solid training? Me either. BUT, I think as long as I don't overdo, I will be good. :)
What I really liked about the personal survey was listing both your motivations and challenges for the training period. And I thought that this might be a good format to share those....so without further ado...
MY MOTIVATIONS
1. Prevent disease and get healthier through training
2. Getting that PTO time!
3. Motivating my kids to exercise by setting a good example.
4. Get toned and look hot in a bathing suit. (Is that realistic, really???)
MY CHALLENGES
1. Time. Time. Time. With two kids whose schedules change weekly, a husband whose schedule changes seasonally, and my own schedule which is totally erratic....time is an issue.
2. Burnout. I am super excited now but there is still a LOT of time before the race. My first goal....get through our trip to NY with no stops in training.
3. Boredom. Any suggestions as to how to keep myself entertained on this crazy long run/walk??? :)
So that's about it for today...two miles later today. Will post times and routes later (great idea Pop-Up!!)
So the book I checked out in paper format is called Marathoning for Mortals. I will tell you that so far, it's good but I was surprised at the very lack of books on the half marathon. Evidently, the whole world would prefer to run the 5k or the marathon or even do a triathlon. Crazy, huh? Well, this was one of the few books that actually presented itself as a real guide depending on your goal. It has programs for walking, running, and run/walking and walk/running both distances. I like that I can have a goal of: finish the darn thing! That's really my primary goal...the secondary goal is the time goal. But, the book has a personal readiness survey to see if I'm REALLY ready to start this thing. (Good thing since it's in chapter three...wouldn't you think that would be in chapter one???)
I was disappointed (but not surprised) to find that the authors think you should have at least a year of good, solid training before trying to complete a half marathon. Do you think that sporadic trips to the gym count as good solid training? Me either. BUT, I think as long as I don't overdo, I will be good. :)
What I really liked about the personal survey was listing both your motivations and challenges for the training period. And I thought that this might be a good format to share those....so without further ado...
MY MOTIVATIONS
1. Prevent disease and get healthier through training
2. Getting that PTO time!
3. Motivating my kids to exercise by setting a good example.
4. Get toned and look hot in a bathing suit. (Is that realistic, really???)
MY CHALLENGES
1. Time. Time. Time. With two kids whose schedules change weekly, a husband whose schedule changes seasonally, and my own schedule which is totally erratic....time is an issue.
2. Burnout. I am super excited now but there is still a LOT of time before the race. My first goal....get through our trip to NY with no stops in training.
3. Boredom. Any suggestions as to how to keep myself entertained on this crazy long run/walk??? :)
So that's about it for today...two miles later today. Will post times and routes later (great idea Pop-Up!!)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Me? Really? A half marathon??
My oldest daughter will be ten years old next month. In the past ten years, I have lost 80 pounds and gained most of it back. When I lost the weight, I was eating right, drinking water, and going to the gym 3-4 times per week. I lived in beautiful, sunny, weight-conscious California and had lots of wonderful supportive SKINNY people surrounding me. Even at my lowest (size 6), I still looked in the mirror and saw nothing but a fat person.
My youngest daughter will be five in October. In the intervening years between the births of my children, I gained 20 pounds (after losing the 80). When I gained the weight, I went back to eating like my friends, drinking soda (and Starbucks), and lost myself in television again. I now lived in beautiful, crazy-weather, football-conscious Ohio and had lots of wonderful supportive friends surrounding me. After my youngest was born, I struggled with the weight and am now about ten pounds under my heaviest weight ever (not pregnant).
I have inconsistently tried Weight Watchers, the gym, Body for Life, and other various "fun" ideas to get my weight down and get healthy. They have worked as consistently as I have tried them. So, I found out about two months ago that my employer is one of the sponsors of the Columbus Marathon and that they are really trying to drum up participation from the employees. So, they are giving PTO to both participate in and train for the marathon (or half marathon). So, I am embarking on a journey to complete my first half marathon in my goal time of 3 hours.
I started training about two weeks ago and so far, I am still feeling good. My husband suggested that I start a blog to track both my progress and let people know how I'm doing with my training! (Thanks Mike!)
So, here I am at the beginning of my twenty week journey to the half marathon....BRING IT!!! :)
My youngest daughter will be five in October. In the intervening years between the births of my children, I gained 20 pounds (after losing the 80). When I gained the weight, I went back to eating like my friends, drinking soda (and Starbucks), and lost myself in television again. I now lived in beautiful, crazy-weather, football-conscious Ohio and had lots of wonderful supportive friends surrounding me. After my youngest was born, I struggled with the weight and am now about ten pounds under my heaviest weight ever (not pregnant).
I have inconsistently tried Weight Watchers, the gym, Body for Life, and other various "fun" ideas to get my weight down and get healthy. They have worked as consistently as I have tried them. So, I found out about two months ago that my employer is one of the sponsors of the Columbus Marathon and that they are really trying to drum up participation from the employees. So, they are giving PTO to both participate in and train for the marathon (or half marathon). So, I am embarking on a journey to complete my first half marathon in my goal time of 3 hours.
I started training about two weeks ago and so far, I am still feeling good. My husband suggested that I start a blog to track both my progress and let people know how I'm doing with my training! (Thanks Mike!)
So, here I am at the beginning of my twenty week journey to the half marathon....BRING IT!!! :)
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